Aircraft traffic capacity is limited. Aircraft basically fly along highways in the sky, and those highways have become congested. Aircraft congestion on air routes is especially problematic on crowded oceanic air routes and also around the terminal area of airports. If aircraft could be spaced more precisely during flight, congestion could be reduced. Reducing air traffic congestion could increase air traffic capacity, thereby increasing landing capacity at airports, reducing flight delays, and reducing the workload of air traffic control (ATC).
Improved systems currently exist for maintaining spacing between aircraft flying in formation. However, formation flight is primarily used in military applications. The position keeping algorithms utilized by aircraft flying in formation cannot be utilized in most commercial flying settings because commercial aircraft seldom, if ever, fly in formation.